1920s men’s fashion: what men wore in the roaring twenties

1920s men’s fashion is where modern menswear begins. After the First World War, men wanted clothes that were lighter, softer and easier to move in. Detachable stiff collars gave way to soft shirt collars, wristwatches replaced pocket watches, and sportswear such as knitted sweaters and plus fours moved from the golf course into everyday life. At the same time, the decade kept a level of polish we rarely see today: almost every man wore a suit, a tie and a hat when he left the house. This guide explains what men actually wore in the roaring twenties, how the look changed from the start of the decade to the end, the differences between Britain, France and America, and how to wear 1920s style now, from a Gatsby party to a Peaky Blinders look or a modern suit with a vintage touch.

What shaped 1920s men’s fashion

• The end of the war: millions of men had worn uniforms, and many came home wanting comfort. Trench coats and wristwatches, both made popular by the army, stayed in civilian wardrobes.
• A younger mood: students and young professionals set trends for the first time, with wide trousers, bright knitwear and loud socks.
• Sport and leisure: golf, tennis, motoring and seaside holidays created a new category of casual clothes.
• Royal influence: the Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, was the most copied dresser of the decade. He made Fair Isle sweaters, soft collars, suede shoes and plus fours fashionable.
• Jazz, cinema and Prohibition: in America, speakeasies and dance halls encouraged sharper evening clothes, and film stars spread styles faster than ever before.

The 1920s suit

The suit was the centre of a man’s wardrobe, and most men owned two or three: a dark suit for work and Sunday, and a lighter or tweed suit for weekends.

Detail	Early 1920s	Late 1920s
Jacket	Short, high-waisted and close-fitting	Longer and roomier, with a fuller chest
Shoulders	Natural and narrow	Slightly wider, still soft
Lapels	Narrow notch lapels, high buttoning	Wider lapels, peak lapels more common
Trousers	Slim, high-waisted, often with turn-ups	Wider legs, sometimes very wide Oxford bags
Waistcoat	Almost always worn	Still common, but sometimes left out

Three-piece suits were standard, and trousers sat high on the waist, held up with braces rather than a belt. Popular fabrics were wool flannel, worsted, tweed and, in summer, linen and seersucker. Navy, charcoal, brown and grey dominated, often with a chalk stripe, pinstripe, herringbone or windowpane check.

The early “jazz suit” was tight and youthful, with a pinched waist and short jacket. By the middle of the decade the cut relaxed. In 1925, Oxford students began wearing Oxford bags, trousers so wide that the legs could measure more than 50 cm around the hem. Most men never went that far, but wider trousers stayed for the next twenty years. For how a modern jacket should sit, see our guide to how a jacket should fit.

Shirts, collars and ties

At the start of the decade, many men still wore shirts with detachable collars fixed with studs. Stiff, starched collars were slowly replaced by soft attached collars, which were cheaper and much more comfortable. Shirts were white, light blue, pale pink or finely striped, and many had double cuffs worn with cufflinks.

• Collar pins and bars: a pin under the tie pushed the collar points up and made the knot stand out.
• Ties: shorter and wider than today, in silk with stripes, small geometric patterns or club colours. Knitted ties were popular for casual wear.
• Bow ties: common for both day and evening, especially with younger men.
• Collarless shirts: working men often wore band-collar shirts without the collar attached, which is the look now linked with Peaky Blinders.

Knitwear and casual clothes

The 1920s gave men their first real casual wardrobe, most of it borrowed from sport.

• Fair Isle sweaters: patterned knits from the Shetland Islands, made famous by the Prince of Wales around 1922.
• Sleeveless pullovers and cardigans: worn under a jacket or over a shirt and tie for golf and weekends. See cardigans for men.
• Plus fours: loose knickerbockers ending about 10 cm below the knee, worn with long patterned socks for golf and country walks.
• Blazers and white flannels: striped or navy blazers with cream flannel trousers for tennis, cricket, boating and summer parties.
• Argyle socks: bright patterned socks became a small, popular way to show personality.

Hats: the finishing touch

Going out without a hat was almost unthinkable in the 1920s. The hat showed both class and occasion.

Hat	Who wore it	When
Fedora	City men of all classes	Every day, all year
Homburg	Businessmen and politicians	Smart day wear
Bowler (derby)	Office workers and the City	Business, especially in London
Flat cap (newsboy or baker boy)	Working men, and everyone in the country	Casual, sport, driving
Straw boater	Young men and students	Summer only
Top hat	The upper classes	Formal day events and weddings

Shoes and accessories

• Shoes: black or brown oxfords and brogues for town, and two-tone spectator shoes (also called co-respondent shoes) for summer and the dance floor. Suede shoes, once seen as daring, became acceptable thanks to the Prince of Wales.
• Spats: short fabric covers over the shoes, still worn early in the decade but fading by 1930.
• Wristwatches: soldiers had found them practical in the trenches, and they slowly replaced pocket watches, although many men kept a pocket watch on a chain with a three-piece suit.
• Pocket squares, cufflinks and tie bars: small details that every smart man used.
• Canes and gloves: leather gloves and a walking stick finished a formal outfit.

Coats and evening wear

The main overcoats were the knee-length Chesterfield with its velvet collar, the belted ulster, the trench coat and, at the end of the decade, the camel polo coat. In American universities, long raccoon fur coats were a famous fad.

For evenings, the formal choice was white tie: a black tailcoat, white waistcoat, wing collar and white bow tie. The dinner jacket, or tuxedo, worn with a black bow tie, became widely accepted for less formal dinners and nightclubs. That is the look most people mean by a “1920s party outfit” today. See our guide to dress codes explained for how black tie and white tie compare now.

1920s style in Britain, France and America

• Britain: Savile Row tailoring set the standard. City men wore dark suits, bowler hats and rolled umbrellas, while country clothes meant tweed, flat caps and brogues. Oxford and Cambridge students pushed the fashion for wide trousers and colourful knits.
• France: Paris was more relaxed and artistic. Men in the cafés and on the Riviera wore lighter suits, striped sailor tops, espadrilles and soft linen in summer. See French style for men.
• America: Ivy League students wore sack suits, raccoon coats and saddle shoes, while jazz musicians and nightclub owners wore sharp pinstripes, bold ties and spectator shoes.

The colours of the 1920s

Everyday menswear was mostly dark and earthy, with colour added through ties, socks, pocket squares and knitwear. Summer brought cream, sand and pale grey.

How to wear 1920s style today

You don’t need a full costume to borrow from the decade. Choose one or two period details and keep the rest modern.

• Wear a waistcoat: a three-piece suit, or a waistcoat with odd trousers, is the easiest nod to the twenties.
• Try higher, wider trousers: a high-rise, pleated trouser with turn-ups gives the 1920s line without looking like fancy dress.
• Add texture: tweed, herringbone, flannel and a Fair Isle or cable knit all feel period-correct.
• Use small details: a collar bar, a pocket square, a tie bar or a flat cap.
• Keep the fit clean: the twenties were roomy, but jackets still followed the body. Avoid anything sloppy.

For a modern version at the office, see smart casual for men.

A 1920s party outfit: Gatsby and Peaky Blinders

Themed parties usually ask for one of two looks.

The Gatsby look is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, published in 1925, and its film versions. Think light suits in cream, ivory or pale grey, white or striped shirts, a bow tie or silk tie, two-tone shoes and slicked-back hair. A black dinner jacket also works for an evening event. It’s a popular choice for New Year’s Eve outfits for men.

The Peaky Blinders look is set in Birmingham just after the war. It’s rougher and darker: a brown or grey tweed three-piece suit, a collarless shirt with a collar stud, a heavy wool overcoat, a flat cap and leather boots.

Element	Gatsby	Peaky Blinders
Suit	Cream, ivory or pale grey, two or three pieces	Brown, grey or charcoal tweed, three pieces
Shirt	White or striped with a soft collar	Collarless band-collar shirt
Neck	Bow tie or silk tie	Collar stud, no tie
Hat	Boater or light fedora	Flat cap
Shoes	Two-tone spectators	Dark leather boots
Extras	Pocket square, cufflinks	Pocket watch chain, long overcoat

For other themes, see our guides to men’s fashion by decade, 1950s men’s fashion and masquerade ball outfit ideas for men.

Hair and grooming

Men wore their hair short at the back and sides and longer on top, combed straight back or parted to the side. It was set with brilliantine or pomade for a glossy finish. Most men were clean-shaven. Small, neat moustaches were common, but full beards had gone out of fashion.

Common mistakes with 1920s style

Mistake	Why it looks wrong	Better choice
Gangster costume clichés	Plastic hats and fake pinstripes look cheap	A real wool waistcoat, tie and simple hat
Low-rise skinny trousers	The period line was high and fuller	High-rise trousers with pleats and turn-ups
Too many accessories at once	Looks like fancy dress	Pick two or three details
Black shirt with white tie	A 1930s film cliché, not 1920s	White or pale shirt with a darker tie
Trainers with a period suit	Breaks the whole look	Brogues, oxfords or two-tone shoes